How to start a SUP, kayak, jet ski or boat rental in Denmark
Thinking of renting out SUPs, kayaks, jet skis or boats in Denmark? Here is what we found — 19 points, each linked to the text it comes from and checked on 17 October 2026 — plus what we could not confirm yet and who decides (7 official bodies).
Registering the business
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Register the business and get a CVR number via the "Start virksomhed" self-service on virk.dk.
Original wording
“Opret en virksomhed og få et CVR-nummer”
Permits to rent out watercraft
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No separate rental licence found. The Danish Maritime Authority (DMA) says you may hire out a recreational craft, but must follow specific rules, and the same equipment rules apply whether the craft is owned or hired.
Original wording
“If you choose to hire out a recreational craft to private persons, you must comply with specific rules.”
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Bareboat hire (craft only, no crew/master) must meet the same equipment requirements as when the owner skippers it — including correctly sized life jackets for everyone.
Original wording
“When you, as a private person, hire out your own recreational craft (only the craft, i.e. without any crew or master), you must meet the same requirements for equipment as when you are mastering the craft yourself.”
Using the beach, shore or quay
Nothing confirmed from an official text yet — see “Not confirmed yet” below.
Your duties as an operator
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The master is responsible for equipment and safety on board, but the hirer-out must always make sure the craft and gear work before hiring it out.
Original wording
“The master is always responsible for meeting the equipment and safety requirements on board a recreational craft, but you must - as the person hiring out the craft - always ensure that the craft and the gear are in working order before you loan or hire it out.”
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DMA advises consulting soesport.dk (Søsportens Sikkerhedsråd) guidance on safe navigation before hiring out.
Original wording
“Before you rent or hire out a private recreational craft, you should consult www.soesport.dk (in Danish) for guidance on safe navigation.”
Safety equipment
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Statutory on-board equipment by craft type is in the VesselSOS Kit Finder (https://vesselsos.com/kit-finder/), from BEK 765/2024 and BEK 766/2024. Key rule: every craft not moored in harbour — boats, jet skis, windsurfers, surf and paddle boards — must carry a correctly sized life jacket or buoyancy aid for everyone.
Original wording
“Alle fartøjer, der ikke er fortøjet i havn, skal medbringe redningsveste eller svømmeveste i korrekt størrelse til samtlige personer om bord”
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Gas systems on board must meet the safety requirements (Recreational Craft Directive Annex I, 5.5).
Original wording
“The safety requirements for gas systems on board must be met.”
Customer age and licence rules
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Jet skis and "similar craft" — explicitly including electric surfboards and (electric) SUP boards and jet boards — require a personal watercraft certificate, whether owned or hired.
Original wording
“Similar crafts includes for example electric surf- and SUP-boards, jetboards, jet skis, etc.”
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Minimum age 16 to operate a jet ski (exam from 15); the certificate must be carried.
Original wording
“You can take the exam for personal watercraft when you are 15 years or older. You can only operate the personal watercraft, when you have turned 16 years.”
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Power boat certificate (speedbådsbevis): needed for planing boats under 4 m with 19 kW/25 hp or more; for planing boats 4–15 m it depends on length and power (DMA calculator). Minimum age 16.
Original wording
“If your boat is under 4 metres and planing, and has en engine effect og 19kW / 25 HP or more, you need a power boat certificate.”
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Power boat: exam from 15, may drive from 16; the person actually at the helm must hold the certificate.
Original wording
“Persons attending a power boat exam must be 15 years or older. You can only sail the power boat legally when you are 16 years or older.”
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No formal competence needed for pleasure craft under 15 m unless they fall under the power-boat rules.
Original wording
“There are no requirements for formal competences for pleasure crafts below 15 metres unless they are covered by the regulations applicable to power boats.”
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Foreign certificates cannot be used to rent a Danish boat that requires a certificate — tourists need a Danish certificate.
Original wording
“Therefore, you cannot rent a recreational vessel in Denmark that requires a certificate with your foreign recreational sailing certificate.”
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Jet skis: generally banned within 300 m of the coast, except straight out/in perpendicular to the coast below 5 knots; banned in nature, conservation and wildlife reserves; local bans (e.g. Port of Copenhagen).
Original wording
“As a general rule, it is prohibited to use personal watercraft/jet skis closer to the coast than 300 metres.”
Insurance
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MANDATORY: all jet skis and speedboats (hull under 15 m) must have liability insurance covering personal injury, loss of provider and property damage; an uninsured craft must not be used.
Original wording
“All jet skis and speedboats must be covered by a mandatory liability insurance.”
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Cover must reach the maritime-law liability limits (approx. DKK 27 million personal injury, DKK 13.5 million property).
Original wording
“The liability insurance must cover up to the liability limit amounts specified in maritime law (approximately 27 million DKK for personal injury and approximately 13.5 million DKK for property damage).”
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The operator must carry an insurance certificate while sailing.
Original wording
“It is the responsibility of the operator of the vessel to have an insurance certificate during navigation.”
Registering and marking the craft
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Ship Register registration is mandatory only for Danish recreational craft of 20 GT or more — small rental craft are not registered.
Original wording
“Registration in the Register of Shipping is mandatory for Danish recreational craft with a gross tonnage of or above 20.”
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Jet skis built or first marketed in the EU after 1 January 2006 must be CE-marked.
Original wording
“Personal watercraft built in an EU country after 1 January 2006 must be CE-marked.”
Inland waters and the sea
Nothing confirmed from an official text yet — see “Not confirmed yet” below.
Season
Nothing confirmed from an official text yet — see “Not confirmed yet” below.
Not confirmed yet
What the research could not confirm from an official text. Ask before you rely on it.
- Not verified
DMA hire page addresses private persons hiring out; rules specific to commercial rental businesses (e.g. passenger-ship rules when crewed) — not retrieved.
- Open question
Whether non-electric SUPs/kayaks need anything beyond life jackets — no rule found (DMA certificate covers electric SUP).
- Not found
Beach/coast permits (Kystdirektoratet, strandbeskyttelseslinje, municipal råden over areal) — not found.
Check with Kystdirektoratet (Danish Coastal Authority)
- Not found
Jet ski rules on lakes/inland waters — not found.
- Open question
Season: no official dates.
- Not found
Permits for using a beach/coast commercially (Kystdirektoratet, strandbeskyttelse, municipality) — not retrieved in this run.
Check with Kystdirektoratet (Danish Coastal Authority)
- Not found
Specific differences between lakes and sea for rentals. Local navigation regulations (police regions, ports) apply on top of national rules.
Check with Politi (local navigation regulations)
Official bodies
Who decides. Ask them before you open — rules and fees can change every season.
- Søfartsstyrelsen (Danish Maritime Authority)dma.dk ↗
- Miljøstyrelsen (Environmental Protection Agency — jet ski zones, reserves)mst.dk ↗
- Politi (local navigation regulations)politi.dk ↗
- Kystdirektoratet (Danish Coastal Authority)kyst.dk ↗
- Søsportens Sikkerhedsråd (safety guidance)soesport.dk ↗
- Virk.dk (business registration, CVR)virk.dk ↗
- Retsinformation (law texts)retsinformation.dk ↗
Quick answers
Do I need a permit to rent out SUPs, kayaks, jet skis or boats in Denmark?
No separate rental licence found. The Danish Maritime Authority (DMA) says you may hire out a recreational craft, but must follow specific rules, and the same equipment rules apply whether the craft is owned or hired. Source: dma.dk, checked 17 October 2026.
Are there special rules for renting out jet skis in Denmark?
Jet skis and "similar craft" — explicitly including electric surfboards and (electric) SUP boards and jet boards — require a personal watercraft certificate, whether owned or hired. Source: dma.dk, checked 17 October 2026.
How do I register a watercraft rental business in Denmark?
Register the business and get a CVR number via the "Start virksomhed" self-service on virk.dk. Source: virk.dk, checked 17 October 2026.
Is insurance compulsory for a watercraft rental in Denmark?
MANDATORY: all jet skis and speedboats (hull under 15 m) must have liability insurance covering personal injury, loss of provider and property damage; an uninsured craft must not be used. Source: dma.dk, checked 17 October 2026.
Do rental craft have to be registered in Denmark?
Ship Register registration is mandatory only for Danish recreational craft of 20 GT or more — small rental craft are not registered. Source: dma.dk, checked 17 October 2026.
Next steps
What each craft must carry
The safety equipment a rental SUP, kayak, jet ski, motorboat and sailboat must carry in Denmark, from the law.
Safety rules for rental fleets in Denmark Kit Finder on vesselsos.com ↗Free tools for your dock
Print them, no account needed. Only the PDF asks for your email.
Safety briefing cardRental agreement & waiver templateDock poster All free toolsThen run the day with VesselSOS Fleet
Fleet is the rental dashboard we are building with pilot operators for the 2027 season. Your customers' phones are the trackers — no hardware.
Fleet does not replace any permit, licence or duty on this page.